Wild But Innocent Stories: Talon x Quinn
by Wiger
Summary: Quinn manages to capture Talon, and brings him back to a Demacian prison. However, on the journey home, she starts to develop feelings for the assassin. Not my work, just a repost of a long gone author.


This is not my work, but that of an author who used to be on this site, named Wild But Innocent. Her profile is still on here, but she deleted all of her stories and left Fanfiction for good. Luckily, I recorded some of her stories, and since I feel that they are too great to disappear, I'm posting them myself for everyone to enjoy.

"What do you see up there?"

Nervously she waited until Valor came down. He shrieked a couple of times and her eyes widened. "Really?" she smiled. "Now that's useful…"

It had been two days since she left the city, looking for the wanted Noxian assassin. She was convinced that she, together with Valor, was the only one who could retrace his path and bring him to Prince Jarvan. The criminal would have to pay for his deeds against Demacia…

She grabbed the poster from her backpack and looked at it.

'Wanted

for crimes against Demacian Justice

Talon, the Blade's Shadow'

She had made some notes on it, because she didn't believe the way the Demacians had made him look. Talon, as they called him, wouldn't be so obvious with his crimes - and there probably was a reason behind it. She held the picture in her hand and looked at the face of the Noxian who had killed so many Demacians. If he weren't a murderer of her people, she would've said that he was pretty okay looking. That was all, nothing more, nothing less. And she didn't even know if the drawing was correct. But what she did know is that she had to find him.

For a couple of days now she had tried to retrace his steps. She didn't want to follow Garen and the Dauntless Vanguard army, cause she was convinced that they wouldn't find anything. 'Call me stubborn, but I can do this better than them.' Everyone in Demacia had seen her skills, but still she felt like she had something to prove. Nobody believed that she and Valor were that strong, especially because they hadn't had any military training. Well, she would prove to them that she was strong even without that. Demacia needs heroes.

And now Valor had told – or whistled – her that he had seen a place that could be discovered only from the sky. She was lucky that she was born on the outside of Demacia, and she knew her way quite well in nature.

Valor let out a soft cry and she understood what he meant. To get to the hidden place – where the Noxian murderer would probably be – they had to go through the place were Caleb had died…

Caleb was her twin brother. When they were young, they'd both wanted to participate in great adventures. They wanted to become heroes. One day they went out on a wilderness adventure, looking for excitement and true danger… And it had cost Caleb his life. She shuddered when she thought about him. It was such a long time ago, but she still missed him every day.

Valor flew in circles above her as she walked through the bushes and trees. The place breathed emptiness. She knew that after this, there would be a pile of rocks that had come down the mountain about fifteen years ago. Rocks as big as horses. She hadn't been able to move them.

A tear went down her face when she looked at the scene of the tragedy. Valor sat down on top of one of the huge stones.

Somewhere under there was the lifeless body of her twin brother… The wooden cross that she'd made a couple of years ago was still standing. "Caleb, my brother and my best friend" it said.

"We have to move on, Val," she whispered. Valor flew to her arm, sat on it and put his face against hers. He knew this place too… A year after the tragedy, Quinn had gathered the courage to come back. That's where she had found the beautiful Demacian eagle, one of the last of its kind. He'd been wounded and she had taken care of him until he regained strength – they'd trained together, becoming inseparable heroes. In some ways he reminded her of her brother… Sometimes she wondered why Valor had to be at that place exactly. Sometimes she wondered if her brother had sent Valor down from the sky to be a replacement for him…

When they were far enough from the place she didn't ever want to get back to, she sat down on a tree stump. From her backpack she grabbed her diary and a pencil. She just had to put this down… she tried to make a fast sketch of his brother's face as she remembered him. It hurt her heart, but she knew she had to do this now.

'We're here again, Caleb. The place I lost you. Everything is so quiet. It's as though this part of the woods died the day you did. I suppose I couldn't help but pass this way. When we were young and they'd told us we'd never be more than commoners, it didn't matter so long as we were together. We knew we could be more than what we were born to, and we had no fear. When I lost you, I learned to be afraid, and I forgot what it meant to dream of honor.

'But I've remembered now, brother. Demacia is counting on Val and me to bring an assassin to justice. We may not make it, but I cannot turn back.'

Valor took off and started scouting the sky to check for danger. She smiled when she saw how much he enjoyed being in nature again.

'I'm doing this for you, Caleb. Val's getting impatient. He's already scouting ahead. There's so much fire in his heart, he reminds me of you every day.'

With a sigh she put down her pencil. She loved to draw, and sometimes she was happy she was able to draw things well – so she could remember everything. But when she looked into the eyes of the drawing of her brother's face, she felt a lump in her throat.

"I am strong… For you, Caleb!" she smiled then, swallowing her sadness. "You can be proud of me! I will catch that Noxian assassin and bring him to justice!"

Valor let out a high shriek from the sky and she whispered back. They were close to the camp of the criminal – if he was really there. Somehow she didn't have any doubt about it. If no one was able to find him yet, and he hadn't returned to Noxus yet, then he had to be around here.

She knew he hadn't come back to Noxus yet, because Demacian military leader Garen somehow had been talking to the kind-of-sister of the criminal. Her name was Katarina. They probably knew each other from the league, where they both participated.

Quinn wanted to join the League too. Maybe one day. But for now she had more important things to focus on… Finding that man, for example.

She put her diary and pencil away and put her backpack back on. She then picked up her crossbow, knowing that they were closer to the place they needed to be.

"We need to make a plan," she whispered to Val, who gave her a nod. "Do you have any idea? You've seen what it looks like from above…" A soft squawk was her answer and she looked at Valor. "That's brilliant! But we'll have to wait a couple more hours…"

Going in at dusk, catching the assassin off guard – Val had some brilliant ideas, she had to admit that.

"For how long do I still have to walk?" she asked the eagle, realizing that she was slowing him down because she didn't have wings like he did.

"Half an hour? Okay, that's doable. Let's go. Eyes in the sky."

Valor stayed above the trees, looking out for danger and guiding the way as she followed a small trail to where she believed the assassin would be hiding.

With still about a mile to go, Valor came down and shrieked. Quinn nodded. "That's a great idea… And probably the right thing to do." She took out paper and her pencil again and started writing.

'Honorable Prince Jarvan IV,

'I've tracked the assassin to what I assume to be his camp. It's well-hidden among the trees and only really visible from above. I'm certain Garen's army would've marched past it.'

Val let out a chuckle and she smiled. "Well, it's true, isn't it?" she giggled. She still didn't know how the bird was able to read, but she'd always known that there was something special about Valor that she would never understand. But she did know he was loyal and trustworthy, and that together they were stronger than any other warrior.

'When the sun sets, Val will strike from the dark. I don't know how well-equipped the target is, but if we catch him off guard, I'll be able to take him down before he sees me. But if I don't return, please tell my family to forgive me and that I wasn't alone. I have Valor at my side.

'This man must be brought to justice.

'In the King's name,

'Quinn & Valor'

"Is that okay?" she asked the bird and he cooed in approval. She rolled up the letter and tied it together with a piece of grass that she plucked from beside her. "Can you bring this to the prince?" Valor looked at her and she knew what he meant. "I'll be okay. I won't get close to his camp without you. I'll walk a little bit more, and then wait till you get back." Quinn knew that the time she'd spent walking here from the city, was so much longer than Val would take to get back to it. It would take him about half an hour to fly back and forth if he flew with all his strength.

And it would still be about two hours before the sun would set, so they had time.

The eagle grabbed the letter and flew away. Quinn waved till he was out of sight and kept walking in the direction Val had told her to go.

She thought about everything she and Valor had gone through over the past years. She was twenty-eight now, and Valor had been by her side since she was twelve. They had formed a bond, a bond that she had never been able to develop with anyone other than her brother.

She also had been single her whole life, she just didn't feel like it was necessary to find a "mate". Valor was enough for her, and if he'd been human she would've married him. But he wasn't, which was good. All his traits were perfect because he was an eagle, not a man.

If she ever looked at a man that was handsome or well-built, all she could think was how if she ever got in a relationship, she might have to lose him one day, like she had lost her brother. Valor was the one who made jokes about her needing a man, but she never really thought about it, she just laughed and told him that she didn't need one.

When she thought about all the qualifications a potential partner should have, it was just undoable. He wouldn't need to have any money; she had more than enough for herself because of the rewards Demacia gave her for completing her missions. And she'd saved up almost everything of it - who knew what she could use it for one day... So that wasn't a problem. Other than that, he needed to have a few traits. First of all; he'd have to be Demacian. Second; honest, faithful and trustworthy. And last but not least: He would have to respect Valor being around her. Of course not one hundred percent of the time, but more like eighty. When she needed privacy, he would know and leave her alone. And she did the same to him – even though he just left for a while when he needed it. Not like she could fly after him.

Sometimes she dreamt of having wings, of being an eagle like Valor. But then she remembered her duty and her loyalty to Demacia. Her people respected her and if she was a bird nobody would've accepted her. They accepted Valor because of her, but if they were both birds… She giggled at the idea. Prince Jarvan was kind of scared of Valor, but still liked him. If she was a bird too, he'd run away – because she'd be a hell of a scary bird.

Sometimes she thought Jarvan kind of liked her more than just as a friend. She couldn't really think about that possibility, but Valor had told her multiple times that he had been staring at her. But even if he was… she was just a girl from the rural borderlands of Demacia. She could never be more than just a commoner. The prince would see her soon as more than just that; she would take care of that. But even then she'd still be the outsider. Yes, she was loyal to Demacia, and she'd do anything to defend her state. But she wasn't part of the city, with its buildings and noise. She was from Demacia's nature. Just like Valor.

But she was strong. Even though she was a woman, she knew that not many men surpassed her in strength and skills. And she was confident in that. Valor had trained her confidence, and when they went out for missions, they both got stronger and wiser.

Somehow she had the idea that today's mission would go differently. Something felt off. Maybe because she had the feeling she had to prove something to Demacia, or because she knew how many people this criminal had murdered already… And she was never scared – but today she didn't feel as confident as usual. Why was that?

Gracefully she crossed the river, using rocks as a way to stay dry. As she kept on walking, she grabbed the poster and the image from her backpack and looked at it. There was something in the eyes of the assassin that she recognized, even though it was just a drawing of his face. It felt like she knew him for some reason.

x x x

She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize that she was getting too close to the potential camp. The trees were so close together that she actually complimented him in her mind for choosing such a good spot to hide. Right behind the mountains, a spot that was easy to overlook because of the trees.

Hopefully – if he was there – he wouldn't hear anything… She sat down on a fallen tree and started drawing a little, now that daylight was almost gone. Some trees, some leaves… It was nice around here. No one had ever been here – except for that Noxian. He just had to be here… A drop of sweat slid down her face and she wiped it away.

Valor should be back anytime. And then they'd have to wait for a little bit before the sun had completely set… and then they would attack. Valor was known for striking enemies right between the eyes, causing a short duration of blindness. Quinn would always use that time to use her bow and land some arrows in their chest. Victory guaranteed.

All of a sudden she felt a cold breath against her neck. "Let's finish this quickly."

The deep voice made her eyes go wide. She wanted to jump up, but she knew if it was the criminal she'd been looking for, he would have a knife against her throat – so jumping up was probably not the smartest idea. 'Dammit,' she thought, 'I should've stayed a little bit further away. Now this might be my death…'

From afar she heard a bird's cry and she sighed, relieved. "Go for the eyes!" she screamed, and before he could put his knife in her throat, she jumped to the side, away from his blade, and Valor came down and struck the man in his eyes. He let out a grunt and Quinn knew she couldn't kill him – but she wanted to. This murderer deserved to die…

Instead Valor grabbed a rope out of her backpack, and while holding the end in his beak, he circled around the man. Quinn tied the knots together. The temporary blindness was fading away, and she saw him grab one of his blades, ready to cut the rope. Valor attacked again immediately, making him close his eyes in pain, and Quinn grabbed one of his knives, cut off his cape and the huge blade from his sleeves, without hurting him. Now she had all the knives. Fluently she bound together his wrists, before he could grab any more blades that he probably had hidden somewhere other than his cape and his arms.

"This is no challenge," he groaned.

"Oh really?" she smirked. "Cause if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're stuck. And if you try to grab another one of your blades, Val will just attack you again. I could do this forever."

His eyes latched onto hers and he looked at her. "You're one of those filthy Demacians."

"I sure am. And you're going with me."

"Not so fast. You really think you're getting away with this? Do you know who you're facing?"

Valor shrieked in his ear and with any other person he did that to, they'd squint their eyes in pain, but this man didn't show any sign of annoyance.

"I do. Talon, the Blade's Shadow?" She held up the poster in front of him and she saw him smirk.

"That sure is a nice drawing. They made me look better than I actually do. Can I have it?" His hand started moving around in the rope.

"Don't you dare."

Before she knew it, he had a knife in his hands and cut the ropes. In the split second she saw him do it she wondered how he got that blade – he hadn't moved his hands since she tied them together. Man, he was fast.

He let the ropes fall down and she watched him come closer to her, but she didn't move. "Valor won't have mercy on you this time, Talon. And neither will I. I could've killed you just now, you know that?" she hissed.

"I know. But you want your moment of fame when you deliver me to your stupid Demacian authorities, don't you? I know your kind."

When he tried to throw the knife into her neck, Valor scooped the blade out of the air with his beak and gave it to Quinn. Then he proceeded to tear off the remains off the cape that Talon was wearing, exposing all the hidden blades. Before the man could act – he was fast, but Valor was faster – the bird attacked his face again and this time he did scream. "Get that damn bird away from me! This ain't fair."

"You should've thought about that when you killed my people," Quinn said quietly as she tied him up again with the leftover rope, and taking away all the blades she could find on his body. She felt his muscles under his armor and she had to admit he had a good body. Probably trained a lot with that kind-of-sister of his… And her dad. General Du Couteau. She'd heard that the general had shown victory over this Talon, and that he had to choose between life at his hand, or death. Of course the bastard had wanted to live…

Quinn decided that if he tried to get away another time, she'd kill him.

"You're quite strong, lady," he said when she was done getting the blades away from his body.

"Thanks, honey," she said sarcastically.

"How did you know where I was?"

She knew the ropes must hurt him, but he didn't show any pain. He was pretty strong too.

"I just started thinking like you would," she shrugged.

"Like I would?" He lifted his eyebrows. He seemed too comfortable – she still wasn't sure if she got rid of all the blades. This time she had put his hands behind his back. It was getting dark and she decided it wouldn't be smart to walk back to Demacia now without any sight. Of course Valor could guide them, but he needed some rest too. She'd stay up with the assassin to make sure he didn't escape.

"You know my kind. I know yours too." She felt something run in her neck and she touched it and looked at her fingers. Blood. He'd managed to give her a cut while she jumped away from him the first time. Luckily it wasn't deep.

She was always wearing full body armor, and on days like this she was happy with that. His knives wouldn't hurt her that much – except for her face and the upper part of her neck.

"You know my kind?" he mocked her. "I don't think so."

"Whatever," she mumbled. She wasn't planning on revealing her thoughts to this Talon.

"Oh, you're snappy," he grinned. "Tell me who I am. Tell me why you were able to follow me here and catch me with your bird."

She shook her head. "Don't feel like it. You'll only know more about my strategies."

He tilted his head, and if she didn't know any better she'd say he was impressed. She pulled him up on his ropes and walked with him to his camp, Valor carried the cape with the blades in his beak – maybe she'd need them later. She pushed him between the trees and surprisingly he didn't even fight back. When they passed the whole wall of trees, they arrived at the place he'd been hiding. There was a campfire burning.

"I bet your bird saw my fire from the sky."

"His name is Valor."

"Sure, lady. And what's yours then?"

"Quinn."

"Nice."

"Shut up," she yelled as she threw him on the ground next to the campfire. "Don't talk to me. Get some sleep before I'll deliver you to Demacia tomorrow. Prince Jarvan will be on his way to look for me," She looked at Val to see if he had been able to deliver the letter. The eagle nodded softly and she smiled back. "Thank you," she mouthed.

"You're one hell of a fighter, together with that bird."

"Valor," she corrected him. "And yes we are. And you're one hell of a blade master. But you're not as fast as we are together. Too bad for you. Do you know how much hurt you've caused to the families of the people you killed? I am not planning on letting you escape."

"I know you're not planning to. But you've only seen a glimpse of what I can do. You weren't there when I slid their throats. You don't know half the things I am capable of."

His words sent a shiver down her spine, but she tried to stay confident. At that very moment she wondered if she would ever get back home. But she would never show him that side of her – she had to leave her feelings out of this.

She looked up in his eyes. The fire made them glow in a bright orange – she couldn't look away from them, even though she wanted to. She was able to tie him up, and he had been tied up for a while now. If he were able to escape, he would've done it already. That thought made her sigh quietly in relief.

His eyes didn't let go of hers and she remembered what Fiora had once told her. If someone continues to stare into your eyes without interruption for more than six seconds, they want to kill you. What she'd said after, Quinn didn't want to remember – but it was stuck in her mind nonetheless. They want to kill you or… have sex with you. She hated that word, it sounded so meaningless.

But she was sure with all her mind that Talon just wanted to kill her with everything inside him. If he would've had access to his blades, and she would've been alone, she'd been dead. Luckily she had Valor here… Even if he was sleeping, he had a strange connection to her that made him protect her whenever anyone would want to harm her. He could sense the vibe someone had, if it was good or bad. And when it was bad, he wouldn't let her out of sight.

"Only fools pledge life to honor… they won't survive…" he growled. "You realize this will be your last night alive, right?"

Quinn chuckled. "You really think that? After I've been able to tie you up twice?"

"You really underestimate me, bird lady."

At least he didn't call her "bird bitch" like Malcolm Graves always used to do. She'd met the escaped prisoner - that everyone feared - when she was on a mission in Bilgewater. And recently he'd joined the trials for the League, she had heard from Fiora – who had the hots for him, and was planning on joining the League as well. Oh well, Fiora had the hots for every guy with facial hair. But Quinn knew that Graves was after someone else… that person was the whole reason he had joined the league. He'd called it "revenge" but she knew better. Even if they hadn't figured it out for themselves yet…

For now, there was another assassin sitting in front of her.

"Can you please stop looking at me? Go to sleep or something," she said when she noticed he was still looking at her. "In the morning we'll go back, when we have more sight. I don't want to get killed by falling off a cliff when I just managed to survive your blades."

He laughed. It was a mean laugh and she couldn't help it, but her face turned angry. "Stop it. I could kill you right now. Go to sleep, enjoy your last night out in the open, because you'll be behind bars tomorrow."

Her stomach let out a loud growl and instinctively she covered it with her arms. She'd been hungry for a while now; she hadn't eaten anything yet that day.

Talon lifted an eyebrow and fiddled in the ropes. "Was that your stomach? You hungry?"

"No," she lied.

"There's some rabbit meat in the tent over there. Skinned and gutted."

"You really think I'll eat that?" She sighed. "So obnoxious… Won't kill me with his blades, but who knows what will be in that rabbit meat."

"I'll eat some too if it makes you feel better."

"Stop talking!" she yelled. "You're trying to get me at my weakest." Her stomach let out another loud rumble. Frustrated, she jumped up and signed Valor that she was hungry. He would go out and get something for her, because she couldn't go anywhere with this Talon tied up here. But he refused. She frowned her eyebrows and he made clear that he wouldn't leave her alone with the man.

"I'll cook some rabbit then," she shrugged. Valor got excited too and she laughed. "You want some too, don't you Val?" He shrieked with happiness. "But what if it's poisoned?" Valor shrieked even louder and she smiled once more. "Yes, that's true. Then he'll die first. At least that'll make it better. Stay with the guy, Valor. If he moves, you know what to do!" She ran to the tent and the fire was just bright enough to show her the meat. It was wrapped in some leaves, but she knew exactly that it would be in there – she used to do that for herself too when she was out in the woods by herself.

"Got it." When she walked past the assassin, she checked if his ropes were still secure. It looked like nothing had happened to them. Her fingers slid across his arms, between the ropes and his hands, to see if they were still tight enough. He flinched slightly.

She unwrapped the meat from the leaves and smelled it. Everything seemed to be fine.

"Want it raw or cooked?" she asked.

Valor let out a squawk and at the same time Talon grunted "cooked".

"I asked Valor, of course I'll cook it for you, weirdo," she smirked to the criminal. "Wait what?" she then said out loud. 'Why am I being nice to this murderer? He has murdered some of my people… He doesn't even deserve food right now…'

"You don't have to cook me food," he then said. "I know what you're thinking."

"You don't know anything about me," she hissed. "And since I can't finish it all by myself, you're going to get some anyway, since you got the meat in the first place. Deal with it. I want to see the look in your eyes when I deliver you to prince Jarvan. And I need you to be strong, I don't feel like looking at you passing out from hunger – I won't enjoy it as much."

"You're not like that at all," he laughed. "You're just too nice to not feed me. And you're making up some lame excuse that sounds plausible."

"Stop talking like you know me," she warned him.

"But I do." The confidence in his voice threw her off guard, but she wasn't showing it.

With one of Talon's blades she cut off a piece of meat for Valor, who ate it and let out a happy shriek.

There was a small metal pan standing next to the fire, she walked around and found some nice branches that would fit perfectly, without lighting them on fire. She secured them in the ground and put the meat in the pan on top of the branches. The fire lightly touched the bottom of the pan, just enough to make it heat up nicely. The branches were the kind of wood that didn't burn as fast.

The fire was radiating so much heat the she started sweating even more than she already was.

"You know your way around," he noticed. She shrugged, not planning on telling him about her past.

A glimmer caught her eye; she looked and saw the pile of blades next to her. He could've easily maneuvered over there to pick them up, she realized. What kind of plan did he have with her? Why did he go so easy on her?

"What's your plan?" she then asked bluntly.

He laughed mockingly. "Why?"

"You're being not as "murderous" as I had imagined you. You tried twice and then you gave up."

"I told you that you're underestimating me. Now I'm sure. Watch and learn."

He jumped up without any effort, his arms still tied to his body and his hands stuck together. She walked over to the pile of blades and stood in front of it, preventing him from getting there before she did.

"You really think I can't get out of this rope work of yours?" His voice got dangerously low and her mouth fell open when she saw his hands appear from behind his body, the ropes falling down.

"What?!" she screamed. "You were able to get away this whole time? What the hell? Why didn't you kill me yet?"

"I like to toy with my victims before I get to slit their throats," he grinned. There was a small blade in his hand that he'd apparently had on him since she'd tied him up. "Don't underestimate me… I've warned you for the last time," he said while he got close to her. He was a little bit taller than she was, but not much. His voice close to her ears made her shiver and she closed her eyes, disappointed in herself.

"Before you ask to live; I never compromise."

She was too flabbergasted to react. He pushed her aside to reach for his blades, but he let out a surprised gasp as he reached into nothingness. Quinn saw Valor fly away with Talon's cape filled with blades and she let out a sigh, relieved that Valor was with her.

"Damn bird," Talon hissed. "Oh well, this one will have to do," he said as he held up the small blade he'd used to cut his ropes.

"I'd give that to me if I were you," she whispered.

"I don't show mercy, Quinn."

The way he said her voice made her look into his brown eyes that were burning with fire. She then jumped up as high as she could, put her feet on his chest and launched herself away from him. His blade followed her and landed against her chest armor. Before she could pick it up, the assassin had it in his hands already.

"Valor!" she screamed, waiting for the eagle to help her. Without hesitation, Val appeared from above the trees, his eyes on fire. He struck down from the sky, snapping at Talon's face and shrieking.

"Not again," Talon grunted as he threw the blade up in the air to hit Valor. The bird caught the blade once again and held it in its beak, not planning on giving it up. Without fighting any more, the eagle left with the last blade and came back within five seconds. Quinn knew he'd put the blade with the other ones, in a place where Talon couldn't find it.

Quinn had her bow pointed at his chest, and he let his arms down. "Fine. You got me."

She wondered if it was a good idea to tie him up again – he might still have more blades hidden on his body. There was only one way to find out…

"Take off your armor," she ordered. "I want all your blades gone."

"That was the last one," he admitted.

"Take it off, Talon. It's not that cold outside."

"You want to see me naked, don't you?" he smirked, not admitting defeat yet. Her finger touched the trigger of her crossbow, making him put up his hands. "Fine, bird lady."

"You can leave your pants on. Just hurry. I don't feel like repeating this till dawn."

He took off all of his armor and his chest pieces, leaving him in only a pair of tight pants. Quinn had to force herself to look for blades and not at his body, but even she had to admit that the man was looking good… Nice abs – nice muscles in general…

Valor came to pick up the clothing and checked everything for blades. He let Quinn know that there was nothing there, which made her smile. "Good job. Okay Talon, you can put it back on then."

"No, I am fine."

"Put it back on!" she yelled

He shook his head calmly. "Nope."

"You do know it's easier for me to shoot you right now with your chest exposed like this?"

"I know. But you still want to have me alive to show me to your beloved prince. So no, I ain't putting my clothes back on. It's quite nice like this next to the fire."

"I am tying you up again though. You don't have any blades left, so this time you won't escape. My knots are tight."

"I've seen. One of the best out there."

"Stop it."Valor helped her tie the assassin up one last time and she pushed him down next to the fire again. The meat was cooking nicely and she was surprised it hadn't fallen down into the fire during all their fighting.

"Now I am even more hungry, you stupid Talon," she admitted.

"You got my last blade, so you deserve it."

"Oh right, that's true… people who show victory over you get to make you part of their household, right?" she sneered. The cut in her neck from earlier was burning, but she knew she shouldn't touch it or it might get infected.

When she looked up, the look in his eyes was something she'd never seen before.

"Don't you ever say that again," he said, his voice dark. "You don't know what it's like. To be all alone. To be stronger than everyone."

"Oh, I do. Apparently you don't know me like you say you do." She took the meat from the fire and started giggling. "Just when you need a knife… Talon, are you sure you don't have another one on you? I need to cut the meat."

"Just eat it and give the rest to me."

"You'd eat it first, remember?"

"Your bird didn't pass out yet, have you noticed?"

"True." She took a bite out of the rabbit meat and let out a short moan. "That's good," she mumbled with her mouth full. She ate about half of the meat and then walked over to Talon.

"Are you going to feed me?" he smirked.

"I guess I have to… I took out the bones already."

She held the meat in front of his mouth, and she watched as he dug his teeth into the soft meat. "That is good," he grinned, a piece of meat sticking out between his teeth.

"Thanks," she answered, actually kind of pleased that he'd said that. This was the first time someone had complimented on her cooking – but she never actually cooked for anyone. And she didn't even know if this counted as cooking, she'd just heated up some meat. But she did know how to make it nice and tender. When the piece got smaller, she saw his lips getting closer to her hands and she told herself not to let go of the meat or else it would fall down – and she didn't want to waste any. Why was her heart racing so much?

Maybe she should eat it herself… that would show him.

His mouth closed around her fingers and took off the last bit of meat, his teeth slightly digging into her skin. "Hey!" she gasped.

"You liked that, didn't you?" he grinned while chewing.

"You're disgusting," she whispered. She walked away from him, wiping her hands on her legs. The meat was strengthening her body already; she felt it lifting her up.

x x x

For a while she'd been staring into the fire, not saying anything. Valor was resting next to her, but still paying attention. His feathers were touching her shoulder to let her know he was there.

Her eyes went to the assassin sitting next to the fire. The light accentuated his muscles and she felt like throwing up when she thought about it. What the hell was wrong with her? He probably knew what he did to her mind – apparently that's why he didn't want to put his armor back on…

Men were never able to distract her like this. What was going on?

"Stop it!" she whispered, frustrated. His eyes looked into hers and the confidence she saw there caught her off guard again.

"Why are you so confident? Tomorrow you'll go back with me to Demacia, where you'll be judged and thrown into prison… You know that, right?"

"I do."

"Then why are you still smiling? Is this one of those times when you're toying with your victims? I thought I got all your blades…"

"You did."

"Why don't I believe you?" she said quietly. "I know your kind, Talon… You would lie if it meant it could save your life. That's what you've done since you were a kid."

"You don't know shit about me," he grunted.

"Oh, but I do. You've been alone since you were a child, barely getting by. Having to rob strangers, defending yourself… You get strong. Stronger than anybody. Just you and your blades; taking on the world. Anyone who'd come to get you – you'd just kill them. Until one general showed up, and showed you defeat. And everyone knows that you've been with his family since then. Common knowledge."

The way he looked at her made her look away. She knew her words got to him.

Quietly she took out her diary. She just had to write it down, even though she might regret it later.

'He's a cold-hearted killer. That's what the streets made of him.

'I don't know what it feels like to have a heart of stone, but I do know what it's like to be alone…'

She put down her diary and the wind made the pages move slightly, opening up the page she'd written earlier that day.

"Who's that?" Talon tilted his head to look at the portrait she'd made of Caleb.

She wanted to say nobody, just to shut him up, but Caleb wasn't nobody. He needed to be remembered.

"None of your business," she said instead.

"Tell me."

"No…"

"Tell me," His voice got deeper and more demanding, and somehow, suddenly she wanted to tell him.

She took a deep breath. "My twin brother, Caleb. He died when I was eleven. He was my best friend. We grew up not far from here, actually. We lived a quiet, happy life in the rural borderlands of Demacia… We always wanted to become heroes, to slay enemies for Demacia… we longed for adventure. Until one day, he took it too far. You've probably passed the big pile of huge rocks not far from here…"

Talon didn't give a reaction, but she knew that there wasn't any other way to get to this camp when you came from the city.

"Under those rocks… well, you get it…"

"I saw the cross."

"Yeah, I made that a couple of years ago as a little memorial for him. I just don't want him to be forgotten. Since I found Valor at that place I just knew I had to become stronger than ever, to make up for the strength that Caleb had. We started missions in the name of Demacia – some people say I am a hero now. But I wanted to prove it to them even more, so they would never forget how strong I am."

"By capturing me." His smirk threw her off guard again.

"Yes. But somehow I have the feeling that I won't make it out alive. I've tied you up and you say you don't have any blades, but I can turn my back on you and before I know it there's a knife between my ribs."

"You know me well, lady."

He didn't respond to her story about Caleb, but she didn't mind. It's not like he had anything useful to say right now.

"Why did you kill those Demacians?" she then dared to ask.

"That's none of your business. I just needed them dead."

"Got that, yeah," she rolled her eyes.

"You're quite feminine under that layer of toughness," he grunted.

She looked up and frowned her eyebrows. "What the hell?"

His grin was back.

The fire was making her more sweaty – but she'd never take off her armor. And since Talon was half naked, she'd have to keep the fire going. She got some dry wood that was lying next to her and poked the fire with it, throwing it in after.

She took off her helmet and let her light brown hair out. She hadn't had a shower for two days, but she didn't care. Her hair didn't get greasy fast anyway – and even if it did, it wouldn't matter.

Her fingers combed through her hair and let it flow in the night breeze. The sun had been completely gone for a couple of hours now. She guessed it was somewhere around midnight.

She put her helmet away and stood up, walking away from the fire. She was sweating and her armor was sticking to her skin. Away from the fire there was a little more wind to get some air into her clothes.

"Just take it off," she heard Talon say in his deep voice.

"Just keep your mouth shut," she threw back at him. If he wouldn't have been here, she would've taken it off – but she didn't want him to see her like that.

She turned around and saw that even on his body there were little drops of sweat. Because of the glow of the fire she also saw some scars – but not many. He was a true master of the blades. Sweat. She was looking at sweat, she reminded herself. He was sweating even though he was just wearing pants; he would understand if she took some of her armor off… Or she could just extinguish the fire. But then she wouldn't be able to see anything… She'd rather have her sight than her pieces of armor. If she kept both, she'd turn into the rabbit she'd just cooked an hour ago.

Quietly she took off her armor and her boots. Only a layer of cotton was covering her now, but it was skintight – or else the armor would make the clothes hurt her skin.

She put the armor on one of the rocks and sat down next to it.

'That feels better,' she had to admit. Relieved, she closed her eyes and she'd never say it out loud, but this was actually quite a nice evening.

"You're quite something," Talon's voice broke through her thoughts.

Valor kept his eyes on the assassin, knowing that something was up. He then looked at Quinn, who nodded at him. "Demacia is counting on us," she whispered. She'd deliver Talon to the authorities tomorrow and then everything would be perfect. They'd recognize her as a true hero. And Talon would be locked up for his crimes.

Valor's eyes fixed themselves on Talon again.

"You're quite something too," Quinn smirked then.

"I know."

"You don't have to be cocky about it."

"I want to."

"Fine."

Valor chuckled and she knew he was laughing at their conversation. Even though he was keeping track of every movement Talon made, Quinn noticed that he was quite at ease now. She wondered why that was – Valor didn't even like Garen. Why would he be at ease around this murderer?

She walked up to Talon to check the ropes. With this man you could never be sure enough that he was tied up well…

She kneeled down behind him and her hands went over the ropes and tugged on them.

"Take it easy, I still want to have my hands tomorrow morning," he grunted and turned his face towards hers, trying to see what she was doing.

Her fingers trailed over his arms. "I just have to be sure," she whispered.

His dark hair was longer than she'd actually guessed it was. It was hanging in front of his eyes, which probably annoyed him. She moved away from his back and kneeled down again in front of him. When her fingers slowly brushed the hair away from his eyes, she noticed he was even more handsome than the drawing made him look.

"What are you doing?" he asked as if some dirty criminal had just touched him. But in this case he was the criminal…

"Just making sure you're comfortable on your last night outside of Demacian prison," she grinned.

"Then you should untie me," he said with his deep voice.

His face got closer to hers and she swallowed. Did he really think that would work on her?

"No chance…"

She kept staring at him intensively. He looked next to her, his eyes looking for Valor. When he found what he was looking for, he winked at the eagle. Suddenly Valor took off, flying away from the camp.

"What?" Quinn whispered. "Val!" she yelled then, but the bird let out a scream to let her know everything was okay. "Yeah right! Get back over here!" But Valor didn't come back. "Just tell me if you see Jarvan!" she yelled at him, hoping he was still in range.

"What the hell," she mumbled. "What was that? Nobody can give Valor orders, just me!"

"That's what you think."

"Valor and me have been together for sixteen years now. We've been inseparable. He's never done anything like this… and earlier this evening he didn't even want to leave me alone with you for one second!"

"We get each other," Talon shrugged.

"Then why did you send him away?" she shrieked, then coughed to make her voice sound normal again. "Are you trying to make him leave so you can kill me? Valor wouldn't fall for that…"

"He wouldn't."

His light brown eyes were looking straight into her soul. She felt more vulnerable than ever – and usually her enemies were marked as vulnerable, not her. Not ever.

A strand of hair fell over his eyes again and he tried to blow it away from his face, but it didn't work. Instead his hot breath went into her face and she felt weaker than ever. "Why do you do this to me?" she whispered and her fingers brushed away the piece of hair again. "Is this still your way of toying with me before ending my life?" Her fingers were still on his forehead and her hand caressed his face, his eyes were looking into hers, burning. The three-days-old stubble was rough on her soft skin. She lowered her face towards him.

"You'll regret this, Talon. Don't ever send Valor away. Ever." She then crashed her lips into his, kissing him and grabbing his hair in her hands. His body moved up a little, trying to fight against her weight that was leaning on him. His teeth grabbed her bottom lip and bit on it, making her gasp. Instead of letting go, her kisses only became stronger. "Hurting me won't help, assassin," she whispered between kisses. Still his teeth tried to grab her lips, but she just evaded them. His lips were softer than she had expected, and it made her body react in a way she hadn't felt for a long time… She let out a short moan when his lips started to move with hers, still trying to show dominance. But as long as he was tied up, she would be the dominant one… And right now, that's just what she wanted. He'd toyed with her long enough, now it was time to give him a taste of who was delivering him to justice.

When she let him go to take a breath, she realized what she'd done. Her mouth fell open and instead of freaking out, she just sat down. Valor was still nowhere to be seen. The Noxian murderer was sitting in front of her, and she'd just kissed him. Hopefully this would turn out like she planned… Demacia would acknowledge her, no matter what. She just had to work her way around the things that just happened. She didn't feel regret yet – she'd always been true to herself; when things like this happened she just went with it. Even though this exact case had never happened before…

"I am going to take you to Demacia, no matter what happens tonight," she said with a hoarse voice.

"What do you think will happen tonight?" he grinned.

"I don't know. I just… I…"

"You what?"

"I just don't want to be alone…"

He didn't say anything. She wrapped her arms around his neck and put her knees on the ground next to his thighs. Her face was one inch away from his, and it felt like his eyes were looking into her soul again... There was something about him that made her feel connected to him. Maybe it was because he knew what it was like to be alone, or to experience hurt… trying to be strong, but deep down just feeling alone. And she had to admit, that even though she had Valor, deep down she'd been longing to connect with someone human. She'd always told herself Valor was enough for her – even today she'd thought about that. But now that she was facing this man, she had to admit she needed something more. Something… someone that could set her on fire.

Before she could think anymore, Talon got tired of waiting. She felt his lips on hers, demanding and wanting control. She sank deeper into his chest and kissed him back. Her body started to tingle; everything was heating up under his kisses. He bit on her lip again and tugged on it lightly and she let out a whimper. She hated to admit it, but it felt good. He was in control even though he was tied up and she was the one who had initiated it…

Or was she? She started to doubt herself and his intentions. Maybe this was the plan all along…

She wanted him to touch her, but she couldn't risk the chance of him getting away. She couldn't let him get away without experiencing that feeling she'd been looking for forever… and he'd be getting away with murder, just because she wanted him to touch her. She wanted it, but she wasn't that selfish. Demacia needed this criminal in its prison.

Deep down she still knew there was a reason for the murders. He was heartless, he was cold as stone, but she just knew there had to be a reason. No one could slit someone's throat just for fun, not even this man. The man that was kissing her right now with a force that was new to her…

She herself had killed a couple of people during her missions. She'd gotten away with it every time, but she was sure that some people were looking for her as well… she used Demacia as the reason behind all her missions, and everyone believed her. She was loyal to her state – everyone knew that. And she was. But not in the way they thought she was. Since she'd lost her brother, something inside her broke. She wanted to be a hero, but sometimes she couldn't help but use too much violence. Valor had always been there for her when she needed someone to calm her down.

She knew she had to deliver the assassin to Demacia first thing in the morning. But first she wanted him to fill the emptiness inside her; she wanted him to show her how it felt to truly connect with someone human, someone who understands…

Suddenly Talon threw her away from him, her back falling on the sharp branches on the ground. He towered above her, his hands free and the ropes falling down his body. In the corner of her eye she saw the glimmer of a blade.

"What…" she whispered.

Without saying anything, he kneeled and cut open the layer of cotton that was covering her, ripping it from her skin without actually cutting her. His other hand slid down her body and his nails dug into her side, making her gasp in surprise. He'd been able to get away this whole time? Again? Then why didn't he escape earlier when he had the chance, when she had…

She was lying naked under him and figured this would be her end. She lifted up her head to see him and she tried to get up. The orange light from the fire accentuated the muscles in his body and the drops of sweat on his chest. When she saw he had gotten rid of his pants, she instinctively closed her legs, but she knew that wouldn't help. 'He's looking even better than I expected...'

If he wouldn't kill her, he would do something else to her that never would've crossed her mind earlier that day. But now it was all she could think about.

"Don't ever think that you're in control," he grunted. "Don't underestimate me. I've warned you, Quinn." He let the blade fall to the ground and opened her legs.

She gasped as she felt him thrust into her, her body closing down on him.

"Don't fight it – you know you've wanted this all along," he said softly and she couldn't say anything anymore. She knew he was right. She slowly started to relax her muscles and he pushed in further, touching something deep inside her that made her moan quietly.

He bent down to grab her bottom lip again with his teeth while thrusting in and out of her body. His rough hands held her waist, and then slid up to her breasts, grabbing them. They fit perfectly in his hands - it made her fire up even more. She grabbed his face and pushed him into her further, kissing him passionately.

In the back of her mind she knew this probably wasn't a tactical decision – making love to the murderer that she had to deliver to her home state the next morning… she wondered why she felt like it was "making love" instead of just plain sex. But she also knew the answer to that.

Her fingers moved his hair out of his face as he kissed her. She lifted up her legs and wrapped them around him, making him grunt as he moved inside her. His hands didn't spare her; his nails dug into her skin and held on tightly.

She realized he was free to run anytime he wanted. He could leave her here and not look back. She flinched when she thought about that possibility.

But it was only a fraction of a second, because when he thrust inside her again, her mind went blank. His lips sucked on the skin in her neck where he'd cut her for the first time and she let out a small whimper.

"Oh…" she moaned when he started moving faster, her whole body was reacting in a way that was new to her. Before she knew it, her walls clenched down on him, waves of pleasure coming over her. Her breath got stuck in the back of her throat as she threw her head back. His hands moved her hair aside while he kept kissing her neck.

'If he wants to kill me, he should do it now,' she thought as her body slowly calmed down. She knew he wanted nothing more than his freedom, and at this moment she felt weak in his arms. Weaker than ever.

But he didn't stop. Instead he kept on going, his teeth sank down into her shoulder as he made her body feel like heaven again. She would be bruised and bleeding in the morning, but she would take it. Her insides were ready again to let go of the built up pleasure and she tried to keep it in, but she couldn't anymore. "Talon," she gasped as she came again, her body rocking from sensation.

He let go of her shoulder and looked deep into her eyes as she felt him unload as well. His strong arms held her and she closed her eyes.

For a while they just tried to catch their breath, before looking into each other's eyes.

"Are you going to kill me now?" she whispered, lying down on the ground next to him.

"I could," he shrugged.

"If you don't, I'm taking you with me to Demacia."

"I know. But we still have time to see about that." He leaned on his left arm and tugged on her hair. He didn't need words to tell her what he wanted. She wondered why he hadn't escaped yet… he might do that later. Maybe if she gave this to him now, it would be easier to take him to Demacia in the morning. 'Who am I kidding,' she then thought. 'I want him either way.' He got up and on top of her again.

"Talon… can you please…"

He spread her legs slowly. "What?"

"Please Talon… I need you inside me again…"

"Beg me more."

"Please!" she yelled and she held her breath when he slid inside her once more.

x x x

'No… no!' were her first thoughts when she woke up. She had made the mistake to fall asleep… She felt something covering her and lifted up her head. It was a thin blanket. How did that get here? she wondered. Underneath it she was still naked. The sun was rising and suddenly she realized that Talon got away…

She sat up and and saw Valor sitting on the tent, that she was able to see more clearly now in the light of the sun. Wait, what? Why had he left the tent here? And why hadn't Valor woken her up or stopped him?

She had a habit of being confused when she woke up, because she was somewhere else every day. Valor tilted his head a little and gestured that she should look around.

When she looked to the other side, she let out a little gasp. Talon was next to her, under the blanket... He was still sleeping and she looked at his face. In the vague sunlight he looked even more handsome than she thought he was – and yesterday she'd already been convinced she'd never met a man as good-looking as this criminal. She realized that he could've killed her, he could've easily escaped. But he hadn't.

She didn't even wonder why… seeing him lay there made the pieces fall into place. They got each other.

She gestured to Val and he brought her her backpack, which had a spare pair of undergarments in it. While staying under the blanket, she put them on. In the meantime she couldn't help but stare at Talon's body. That same body had made love to her last night… The faint scars, the muscles under his skin, his chest that went up and down with every breath he took…

"You're looking at me, aren't you," he murmured and his deep morning voice made her blush.

"No…"

"Liar."

"Look who's talking," she mumbled. "Told me I got all his blades. Yeah right."

"You didn't believe me anyway." He got up and her heart started pounding, even the thought about him running away made her tense up.

"Valor, maybe you could go check to see if the prince is coming this way?" Valor flew up without hesitation and left the camp, looking for a sign of the Demacian authorities.

Suddenly Talon's hands were on her stomach and pulled her in for a hungry kiss. She moaned into his mouth and kissed him back, her hands wandering over his body. Just when he started to take off her undergarments, Quinn heard Valor come back already and she let go of Talon, disappointed.

"They're coming," she whispered. "Please don't run away," she then begged. "I know you can, I know you don't really have feelings for any human being and that you value your freedom and control above anything else… but you know that there is something going on that's worth staying for."

He looked into her eyes. "You really want me to go to Demacia with you and stay in prison for the rest of my life? You really think I'd do that?"

Her finger traced over his chest. "It won't have to be for that long…" She raised her eyebrows and smiled at him. "Trust me. I have a plan."

Frowning, he looked up at Valor who was coming down. Quinn knew he wanted to say something about this not being anything, that it had only been a one time thing, that she didn't even know him at all… that she was Demacian… that he'd just toyed with her…

But he didn't. The way he looked at her made clear that even though he didn't want to admit it, he had given in.

Well, given in… she knew he still had control over this whole situation. He was an assassin after all, fast as the wind, he was the blade's shadow. He could turn his back on her anytime he wanted… but she realized that he knew that this was something too special to throw away, and since he had been in control of everything his whole life – she knew he wouldn't let this chance slip away.

The sound of a trumpet from the distance made her jump up and she put on her armor quickly. He did the same, but he was missing his torn cape because Valor had dropped it somewhere in the woods with most of his blades.

"Are you going to give me my blades back before you deliver me to your people?" he hissed and she smirked. "Val, can you bring them back?"

He shrieked something at her and she started laughing. "They're behind your tent."

"Wow. Your bird is smart."

"He sure is," she nodded.

"I like him."

Valor suddenly struck down from above, but instead of attacking his eyes, he landed on Talon's head and stayed there.

Talon grinned. "You're heavy, Valor!"

Hearing him say Val's name made her smile. She winked at the eagle and then got some leftover pieces of rope. "How am I supposed to tie you up with this? You cut them all…"

"There's some in the tent."

She ran to the tent and halfway there she stoppend and turned around. "Did you really just help me to capture you again?" She chuckled when she saw Valor still sitting on Talon's head, triumphant. His colors matched with Talon's clothes and armor.

Talon shrugged. "You told me to trust you."

Quinn disappeared into the tent, then ran behind it and came out with his blades and a piece of rope, and tied his hands behind his back. She couldn't help but touch his arms while she did it. Those trained, fast, muscular arms… "But you've never trusted anyone in your life…" she whispered.

"There's a first time for everything, right?" he grunted. Then he lifted one eyebrow, arrogant. "And it's not like I couldn't escape from prison if I wanted to."

"Oh, so you don't trust me."

"I do. I know your kind."

x x x

'We've done it.

'Valor and I brought the assassin to justice. For our efforts we've been given the highest honors and a place amongst Demacia's elite – granted by Prince Jarvan himself. It's strange. For all my life, I dreamed of being here in the city. The streets are crowded. Even at dusk, I hear the sounds of voices from the courtyard.

'I miss the leaves and the dirt beneath my feet and the silence of the forest.

'Val feels it, too. He's ready for our next mission.

'We're ready.'

Two weeks later, the Noxian assassin got bought out of prison. Nobody in Demacia knew who had gotten the criminal out of jail, but everybody knew that the amount of money that had been offered had been too high to refuse.

A couple of days after that, Quinn went back to the place where her brother had died. She sank down on one of the rocks and smiled.

"We did it, Caleb. Val and I found him." She swallowed. "But he wasn't what I expected… It turns out that he and I get each other, even though our pasts have been different from each other. It's like… It's like we just know each other. I've never felt this connection with someone human since you died. Val even likes him. His name is Talon. He's cold, but he's opening up…"

A soft breeze through her hair made her smile. "Thank you…" she whispered. She put her arms around Valor and hugged him. The eagle cooed in approval and put his head against hers.

A soft whistle got her attention and a blade flew past her face into the tree behind her. She looked up and saw Talon walking up to her, blades rotating in his hands.

"Valor is getting rusty," he grinned.

The bird flew up to him and sat on his shoulder, using his talons to kick Talon against the head while he landed. He squawked in response and Talon grinned. "He's probably saying that he knew the blade wouldn't hit you."

Quinn's mouth fell open. "He actually did say that!" she yelped. Then she jumped up and walked up to him. "What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?"

His hands touched the scar in her neck that was proof of the cut he'd made a couple of weeks ago. "I just knew." He looked at the cross and she saw his lips take the form of a slight smile. "Would he be okay with... us?"

She nodded. "He would be."

Talon gave a nod towards the cross, as if he was saluting her twin brother. She felt her emotions stuck in her throat.

"Let's get out of here," she whispered. "I know some beautiful places I wanted to show you."

"So did I," he grinned. "Me first. I've been in prison for two weeks, so I get first pick."

"In prison? No way," she laughed. "Then why are you here now?"

"Apparently someone bought me out," he smiled.

"Oh really… I had no idea…" she said as she looked up at the sky, not planning to look at him. During his two weeks in prison, she'd visited him every day. He'd told her about the murders and the reason behind it. Apparently general Du Couteau had gone missing and he'd assumed those Demacians had killed him – and he'd wanted payback. And when an entire Demacian battalion went to look for him, he'd evaded them wisely.

They were a lot alike, she already knew that, but after his story it dawned on her. They went places nobody else had ever gone... He may have been more coldblooded, and she's always had Valor, but deep down they just wanted someone to never leave their side.

They looked out over the beautiful landscape. She felt at home here, and Valor did too. He had left Talon's shoulder and was flying around like a crazy bat.

"I wonder who that was," he shrugged when they stopped to look at the view.

"What?"

"I wonder who bought me out of prison. Not even Katarina cares that much about me – half of the time she even hates me. The person who did this, must have a thing for me."

Another soft breeze made the hair under her helmet blow in the wind. "Oh really? I couldn't imagine that…"

Forcefully he threw her against a tree and pressed her against it with his own body, kissing her deeply. She held his face in her hands as she let him kiss her. The familiar sensations were back and she smiled against his lips. He lifted up her arms and pinned them to the tree using his blades. She felt the sharp edges next to her skin, through her armor. Man he's good with those blades…

"Don't forget who's in control," he whispered against her mouth.

"Oh, I wouldn't if I could…"

Valor was still having fun high up in the sky, and she felt comfortable here – her arms locked to the tree with a couple of blades, the smell of the summery forest, and the man she knew she'd always be connected to. He kissed her tenderly, nipping on her lips.

"I want to join the League," he confessed in between kisses. "I need to find who's responsible for the general's disappearance."

"That's a good idea," she nodded. "I want to join too, but I have to finish some business in Demacia before I can devote myself to the League. In the meantime… you'll have time off, right?" she asked teasingly.

His rough hands slid under her armor. "I'll make time…"

They got lost in another deep kiss. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, but she was still stuck. So this is how it felt to be tied up…

Valor was shrieking from the sky – she'd never seen him happier. She could tell that he had a special connection with Talon, even though at first he'd been skeptical about the criminal. She'd never fully understand the eagle, but she knew that if he felt at ease with someone, everything was all right.

Talon removed the blades from her armor and she threw her arms around him while kissing him intensely.

"So how did you know where I was?" she asked, out of breath, slightly grinding against him. He put his mouth against her neck and bit her skin. Life with this man wasn't going to leave her without scars, she realized. But the little shivers of pleasure that he gave her, were pretty self-explanatory.

"I know your kind," he groaned, marking her skin. "And it's rare. And hell, I ain't going to let that slip away, Quinn."

x x x

'It's been a while since Val and I joined the League now. I've made friends and I got to know so many heroes… Runeterra holds so many secrets and hidden talents... Prince Jarvan has been praising me a lot lately. He's pretty good himself. But still, no one else can make me feel the way Talon does when he looks at me. It's been about three years now since we first met, but I know he and I share something that no one can ever take away from us.

'Every time we have a weekend off, we spend it together. He's taken me to Noxus a couple of times, undercover, showing me where he grew up. He's met my family and even though they felt uneasy around a man with so many blades on him, they had to admit that he's the one I need to be with – especially because Valor is excited about it. Apart from them, nobody knows we're together - everybody is convinced that we're rivals. It's probably better that way. Noxus and Demacia don't really work together, if I say so myself. I am still devoted to Demacia – but I can see now that your home state doesn't define who you are…It's your heart.

'And no matter our differences... our hearts beat the same.'


End file.
